Many people are intimidated by the idea of a growing banana plant.However, as long as you keep in mind a few basic growing factors, your tree should grow and prosper, yielding delicious fruit for your family to enjoy.
The most important factor when growing a banana plant is to choose the location wisely. It is vital to grow your it in an area that has plenty of heat and sun, because your banana will cease to grow fruit if you place it in an area with too much shade.
Secondly, you should pay special attention to the soil Regular potting soil will not do well for your plant. You?ll need to make sure that the soil that drains well and is full of organic matter.
A common result of the failure to use the right soil is root rot. To avoid this problem, many planters use soil designed for palm tress and/or cactus.
Thirdly, your plant should be grown somewhere that will not be susceptible to extremely high winds. Due to the shape of the plant, high winds can cause the tree to break, particularly when the plant is full of fruit.
Fourthly, as with any plants, your tree will need plenty of watering. Some people believe that because the banana tree is a tropical plant it will not need as much water, but this belief is false. It needs a frequent supply of water to maintain the tropical leaves and to ensure the sweetness of the fruit.
Generally, in order to make sure the plant has plenty of water, the top inch of the soil should be moist, and the plant should be watered every 2 to 3 days.
There are four basic steps in planting a banana. These steps include choosing a proper location, giving the plant plenty of water and the right type of soil, and protecting your plant from high wind. Through keeping these steps in mind as you begin planting, you will sow the seeds for a successful harvest.
As with many plants, it is tempting to believe that getting a banana plant in the ground (or in the pot if you are growing it indoors) is the hard part of the growing process.Unfortunately, however, getting the plant in the soil is the just the first step of the growing cycle. The actual tough part is the maintenance phase.
This step, which encompasses the care of the plant after it has been planted and before it is harvested, will determine how much and how sweet the fruit of the will be.
First and foremost, it is essential that your plants continue to get water during the winter months. They will not need as much water as they require during the growing seasons, but you cannot just stop watering and let it dry out completely.
As a general rule, once the temperatures start hitting below fifty degrees, make sure you water the plant at least every couple of weeks if they are outdoor plants.
If they are indoor plants, you?ll need to increase that amount. But be careful not to over-water. This is common particularly in indoor plants, and too much water can lead to root rot.
If you have an outdoor plant, another concern of yours will likely be protecting the plant from frost. The good news is that banana trees, though they are tropical plants, are truly hardy plants.
If you are growing fruit during a cold spell, then you will likely loose that fruit. But the plant itself will survive, save a few dead leaves, and will rebound come warmer weather.
A final consideration is the addition of fertilizer. Banana plants do require a lot of nutrition as they grow, and as such, do best with additional fertilization.
The most important ingredient that your fertilizer should contain is potassium. Through proper fertilization, your plant will grow more fruit than a non-fertilized plant would.
With proper fertilization and watering, your plant will thrive and survive most cold spells. Unlike many tropical plants, the banana plant is a truly hardy tree and thus, it is very difficult for even the inexperienced handler to fail at having a successful growth.
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